Daily Times

WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief said on Wednesday that the Russia-Ukraine war has led to food shortages and sharply higher prices, urging the international community to take fast, well-coordinated actions to tackle the food crisis.

The war has created “a crisis on top of a crisis” around the globe with countries facing food shortages and sharply higher prices for food, energy and fertilisers, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a statement.

“These pressures occur at a time when countries’ public finances are already stretched from the pandemic and debt burdens are high,” Georgieva said.

“With inflation reaching the highest levels seen in decades, vulnerable households in low- and middle-income countries are most at risk of acute food insecurity,” she continued, adding that hunger often triggers social unrest and violence.